Respite
by pottersandponds
Summary: Lily only meant to spend an hour or two at The Three Broomsticks to finish up her homework, really, she did, but now she has to explain to a very angry and worried James why she's been gone for the past four. I suck at descriptions, but this is my first fic so please R&R.


**A/N: this is my first fic ever, so please review and let me know what you think. i proofread it once but i'm not sure that did any good.**

**apologies if this sucks, which i'm pretty sure it does. at least i tried.**

Lily had only meant to go out for an hour. Really, she did. It was a week till christmas break, and Hogwarts was all hustle and bustle, loud and rambunctious and alive with the christmas spirit. And amidst all the cheerful chaos, it seemed as if she was only one concerned with homework. Even Remus had been slacking off this past week and, without their usual study sessions, Lily found herself alone in the library that felt much too large and made her feel all too small. The common room was too noisy, outside was too cold, and she'd learn not to study in her dorm unless she wanted a front seat view to Sirius and Marlene snogging. So really, who could blame her for taking the marauder's map while James was at quidditch practice? And was it really that big of a deal if she borrowed the invisibility cloak for _one_ afternoon? It's not as if it was a secret or anything, she'd left a note for Alice before she left. But, despite her intention of seeking a quick respite, when she looked up at the clock from her perch on a stool at The Three Broomsticks, she found she'd been gone for a decent four hours. Her butterbeer had become cold and the uncomfortable chair made her back hurt and she _still _hadn't finished her arithmancy homework.

She sighs heavily, throwing her head onto the textbook in front of her, a few deviant curls falling out of the bun she'd made with her wand. Just as she was about to pack up her stuff and leave, she feels two icy hands around her waist, the cold from the fingers seeping through her shirt. She moves to elbow the stranger, scream, to do _something_, but she recognizes a fluff of wild black hair out of the corner of her eye, "James, what are you doing here?"

His eyes narrow, all green and gold, bright and alive and so very James, "I think the better question, Lily, is what are _you_ doing here?"

_Oh no, _Lily thinks. He used her full name, and and she know it must mean he's angry. She knows she deserves it, too. If he had just left without a word for four hours, she would have been pretty angry.

She smiles meekly, "Studying?"

He answer does not seem to be satisfactory, and James frowns, "Studying? _Studying? _Do you know how _worried_ I've been these past few hours, Lily? I come back from quidditch practice to find your dorm empty, Marlene hadn't seen you in hours, you weren't in the library, the common room, the kitchens, the great hall, the owlery, _goddamnit Lily, _I even checked the quidditch pitch, I thought maybe you had gone looking for me!" He takes a deep breath, pushing his glasses higher onto his nose and ruffling his hair. Lily moves to interrupt him, but he starts talking first, "And then I find Alice and she tells me you wrote her a notes, but you should've been back by now! And the cloak and the map were gone and _I was so worried about you, _Lils! I thought you'd gone out and someone had taken you, that _they_ had taken you and I was never going to see you again!"

By now he's out of breath. His face is red and his chest is rising and falling rapidly and it's all he can do to wrap her in his arms and hug her close because she's here and alive and maybe a little scatterbrained but at least she's _here_, but he has to let her know, let her know that she can't just _leave _him like that.

Lily's eyes had gone wide and she slowly reaches a hand out to take him, rubbing her thumb over his frantic pulse, "James," she said softly, "James, James, _James_, I am so sorry. I just… I forgot. Everything's been so busy lately and I just wanted to finish my essay…"

His face is still red but she can see in his eyes that he's not truly angry, at least not anymore, just a bit worried and frazzled, "You forgot, huh? I didn't know I was so easily forgotten, Evans… Maybe you need some _reminding_…"

And before she can protest he lifts her up and takes her place on the stool, placing her in his lap and turning her around and putting his lips on hers and she's laughing in that way that only James can make her laugh before she kisses him back, glad she found her respite after all.


End file.
